Message encryption and decryption using UDP server

Last Updated : 26 Jul, 2021

The process of message encryption and decryption during client-server communication using UDP server is as follows:

The client requests the server with a file name.
The corresponding file is opened by the server and sends the file using datagram socket.
The sender sends the encrypted text (Xoring) with a fixed length key.
The receiver receives the encrypted text (cipher text).
The receiver decrypts the file using the same key (private key).

Examples:

Input :  file.txt
Output : ClientSide : Received from server: 
                      00 2C 28 28 2A 6E 3B 24 37 64 65 79 0A 00 00 
                      Decrypted message: Hello People 
         ServerSide : Encrypted message stored in file: 
                      00 2C 28 28 2A 6E 3B 24 37 64 65 79 0A 00

Client Side Program:

C

// Client side code
#include <netinet/in.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    int clientSocket, portNum, nBytes;
    char file_buffer[3000], path[1024], buffer[3000];
 
    // This key array stores the hidden key
    char const key[3000] = "HIDDENKEY";
    struct sockaddr_in serverAddr;
    socklen_t addr_size;
    int i;
    clientSocket = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 
    serverAddr.sin_family = AF_INET;
    serverAddr.sin_port = htons(5004);
    serverAddr.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr("127.0.0.1");
    memset(serverAddr.sin_zero, '\0', sizeof serverAddr.sin_zero);
 
    addr_size = sizeof serverAddr;
 
    while (1) {
        printf("Specify file name: \n");
        gets(path);
 
        // printf("%s\n", path);
        FILE* fp;
        fp = fopen(path, "r");
        if (fp == NULL) {
            printf("file does not exist\n");
        }
 
        fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_END);
        size_t file_size = ftell(fp);
        fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_SET);
 
        if (fread(file_buffer, file_size, 1, fp) <= 0) {
            printf("unable to copy file into buffer\n");
            exit(1);
        }
 
        if (sendto(clientSocket, file_buffer, 3000, 0, (struct sockaddr*)&serverAddr, 
                                                                    addr_size) < 0) {
            printf("error in sending the file\n");
            exit(1);
        }
 
        bzero(file_buffer, sizeof(file_buffer));
 
        nBytes = recvfrom(clientSocket, buffer, 1024, 0, NULL, NULL);
 
        printf("Received from server: \n");
 
        // printing some of the character to have a feel of encryption
        for (i = 0; i < 15; ++i)
            printf("%02X ", buffer[i]);
        printf("\n");
 
        char x[3000];
        for (i = 0; i < nBytes - 1; ++i)
            x[i] = (char)(buffer[i] ^ key[i]);
 
        // printing some of the character to have a feel of decryption
        printf("Decrypted message: (First 15 characters)\n");
        for (i = 0; i < 11; ++i)
            printf("%c ", x[i]);
 
        printf("\n");
    }
 
    return 0;
}

Server Side Program:

C

// C server code
#include <memory.h>
#include <netinet/in.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    int udpSocket, nBytes;
    char buffer[3000], xor[3000];
    char const key[1024] = "HIDDENKEY";
    struct sockaddr_in serverAddr, clientAddr;
    struct sockaddr_storage serverStorage;
    socklen_t addr_size, client_addr_size;
    int i;
 
    udpSocket = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 
    serverAddr.sin_family = AF_INET;
    serverAddr.sin_port = htons(5004);
    serverAddr.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr("127.0.0.1");
    memset(serverAddr.sin_zero, '\0', sizeof serverAddr.sin_zero);
 
    bind(udpSocket, (struct sockaddr*)&serverAddr, sizeof(serverAddr));
 
    addr_size = sizeof serverStorage;
    puts("Waiting for client :");
    int count = 0;
 
    while (1) {
        nBytes = recvfrom(udpSocket, buffer, 3000, 0, (struct sockaddr*)&serverStorage, 
                                                                            &addr_size);
        printf("Message no : %d\n", ++count);
 
        for (i = 0; i < nBytes - 1; i++) {
            if (buffer[i] != '\n')
                xor[i] = (char)(buffer[i] ^ key[i]);
            else
                xor[i] = buffer[i];
        }
 
        printf("Encrypted message stored in file : (First 15 characters)\n");
 
        // printing some of the character to have a feel of encryption
        for (i = 0; i < 15; ++i)
            printf("%02X ", xor[i]);
        printf("\n");
 
        FILE* fp;
        fp = fopen("temp.txt", "w+");
 
        for (i = 0; i < nBytes - 1; i++) {
            if (xor[i] != '\n')
                fprintf(fp, "%X", xor[i]);
            else
                fprintf(fp, "%c", xor[i]);
        }
 
        fclose(fp);
        sendto(udpSocket, xor, nBytes, 0, (struct sockaddr*)&serverStorage, 
                                                                 addr_size);
    }
 
    return 0;
}